


Universal Soldier

by Fcj



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, arthur’s return
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 18:10:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fcj/pseuds/Fcj
Summary: When Merlin wakes up that morning and finds his youth restored, he sets out to find Arthur. But Arthur plays for a football club now, and doesn’t seem to remember anything about Merlin, or indeed his past life.Merlin needs to get Arthur to remember him so that he can take his place as the Once and Future King to save Britain from the bad times that are quickly approaching while trying not to fall in love all over again





	1. Prologue

_**Prologue** _

_’He’s five feet two,_

_And he’s six feet four._

_He fights with missiles and with spears._

_He’s all of thirty one, and he’s only seventeen,_

_He’s been a soldier for a thousands years’_

 

When Merlin woke up that morning, he didn’t immediately notice that something was different. He lay in his bed as he had done so many times, and it seemed to him that time had slowed significantly in the last few hundred years, or maybe that was just his old age creeping up on him - or lack thereof. Being immortal had its downfall, he supposed.

But when he stretched and got up, his bones didn’t creak as much as they normally did, his back didn’t ache so much and all in all, he felt better than he had since... Arthur, well...

He still didn’t think anything was wrong though, until he gazed upon his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

His skin was clear and smooth, no sign of the centuries old wrinkles that bore deep into his skin.

His hair, once pure white and shoulder length, was now short and fluffy, and raven black as it had been once, all those years ago.

His eyes still held the same pain and wisdom, though.

Merlin, though, had not been expecting this and upon his discovery, only one name was on his lips.

‘Arthur’


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin finds Arthur

  
Chapter 1

 _He’s a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain,_  
_A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew,_  
_And he knows he shouldn’t kill,_  
_And he knows he always will,_  
_Kill you for me, my friend, and me for you’_

 

Merlin used his new found youth and energy to pull his clothes on faster than he ever had before, and grabbed his red neckerchief that had been abandoned in his old age. It brought back memories of the old days of being Arthur’s manservant, before all the pressures of preparing Arthur to be the once and future king had been bestowed unceremoniously upon his shoulders.

He found himself running through the door of his ground floor flat and slamming the door without meaning to. The landlady wouldn’t be very happy about that, but then again, Merlin suspects she’s never really been happy.

He followed his gut and was just running past the small football club when a ball, travelling the speed of a small missile, hit him square on the side of the head. He stumbled backwards before a strong pair of hands grabbed his own skinny arms and steadied him.

‘Woah, mate, I’m so sorry, completely misjudged that kick’

Merlin’s head had stopped spinning enough that he could look up into the face of the owner of the strong hands. But, really, he didn’t need to see the face to know who it was. He’d recognise that voice anywhere.

‘Arthur?’

He hadn’t changed at all. His hair still stuck up in unnatural directions when he wasn’t paying attention to it, and those icy blue eyes held the same emotions as they had back then. The only difference was the clothes he was wearing. He had on a red t-shirt that looked suspiciously like it belonged in the Arthurian times that Merlin remembered so clearly, but there was a crest of a gold dragon on the breast pocket, and underneath that, the words ‘Camelot Knights F.C.’ were stitched.

‘Uh, yeah?’

Merlin almost fell backwards again.

‘Oh my god...’

Arthur looked sympathetically down at the excited man in front of him.

‘Ah, that ball hit your head pretty hard, didn’t it? Do you want to sit down for bit? I’ll get you some water’

Merlin allowed himself to be led to a bench and handed a bottle of water. A quick glance around showed him that Arthur was alone in the pitch, save from a group of boys in the left hand corner.

‘Oi, Art , are we finishing this or not?’ One of the boys called. Arthur stopped what he was doing -getting another bottle of water out of the cool box- and shouted back:

‘No, you can go home. We’ll finish this tomorrow or something’  
  
He turned back to merlin and studied him for a minute.

‘Do I know you from somewhere?’

Merlin smiled sadly.

‘Yeah’ he wanted to say, ‘I was your manservant. I served you and loved you and I let you down and I’ve waited years and years and years for this moment but you don’t recognise me—‘

‘Yeah, I think you do’

Arthur nodded contemplatively, but didn’t question it further. Something told him that somehow, he did know this person, but he ignored the feeling and instead asked the stranger what his name was.

‘I’m, uh, Merlin’

‘Merlin, huh? That’s an odd name’

‘Yeah, I guess it is, isn’t it?’

Arthur chuckled and slapped his thighs.

‘Right, well, _Merlin_ , how do you feel about joining me for a conciliatory pint at the white dragon?’

‘There’s nothing that I’d like more, _Art_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo will Merlin be able to get Arthur to recognise him?

**Author's Note:**

> The song at the beginning is called ‘universal soldier’ by Buffy Sainte-Marie and I thought it was fitting in this story. Chapter 1 will be up soon I hope.


End file.
